Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 10:38:43 -0400 From: Botanique <botaniqu@pitcherplant.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3439$foo@default> Subject: Re: Tannins, peat tea recipe
At some point, I'll get the mentioned article on our web site
http://www.pitcherplant.com, but, since some folks may want to know an
approximate recipe for this peat tea, here it goes:
This recipe is slightly modified from the original article appearing in the
Carnivorous Plant Newsletter.
1.In a large, stainless steel container add 2 gallons pure water
(distilled, reverse-osmosis,etc.), 3/4 gallon new, unleached peat
moss-tamped slightly,and a ball of long-fiber sphagnum (dead,dry) about the
size of a grapefruit-compressed slightly. You can also substitute many
acidic humus sources for the sphagnum, including leaf humus(partially
decayed) from pine, oak, hemlock (Tsuga) and mixed forests.
These will tend to float; stir them down with a stick, I use bamboo, until
the ingredients are saturated.
2.Add one more gallon of pure water.Stir.
3.Bring this mixture to a high temperature. There are many soil chemists
who prefer to keep the temperature at 160-170degF, due to the perishable
nature of some soil enzymes, but I bring the mixture to a low simmer for
20-30 minutes to nearly sterilize the concentrate. This mix will require
occaisional stirring to prevent boil over and is best done on a camp stove
outside!
4.After 30 minutes, remove from heat and wait about 5 minutes, for some
settling and cooling.
5.This is the tricky part; be careful as the hot concentrate is not easy to
handle. You may wish to cover the liquid and let it cool before straining.
I'm familiar with handling it and prefer to strain it hot into containers
so it will keep better (about 2-3 weeks in a covered milk jug.)
Stretch a nylon stocking over a clean, large funnel or galvanized watering
can, leaving some slack for the solids. Secure this if needed so it won't
slip. Slowly pour the concentrate to ONE SIDE of the stocking to strain it.
If you pour too quickly, the solids will plug the nylon and cap the
receptacle, spilling the brew over the top! You can use the stirring stick
to hold back the larger chunks while pouring. Avoid hand contact as this
will add bacteria, possibly burn you (if hot) and decrease the storage life
of the concentrate. With experience, this filtering will get easier as you
adapt your technique to your equipment.
6.Once cool, add about 1 1/2 cups of this concentrate to a gallon of pure
water and aerate the diluted "peat tea" by vigorously shaking in a
partially filled jug. For those of you with test equipment, I standardize
this tea by adding either concentrate or water to achieve a pH of 4.5-5.4
and a conductivity of about 18-22 microsiemens. The above dilution ratio
should get you close enough for most applications, so exact meter readings
aren't usually needed. The solution should be dark tea colored and can be
used to drench the soil of the plants you wish to treat. Store the
concentrate in clean, covered plastic milk jugs. Use diluted=ready to use
tea within a couple days, or it will start to grow microbes (mostly
harmless water molds.) I do not recommend using the concentrate without
dilution.
I apply this once every month or so. Be sure to leach the soil between
applications or evaporation can concentrate further the chemicals in the
soil. I haven't tested this stuff enough on Dionaea, but since flytraps
like to be repotted every year in fresh peat, I believe they would benefit
from the tea, which can lower the pH in older media. Pinguicula planifolia
does benefit from this tea, as do most Nepenthes.
This recipe makes about 1 1/2 -2 gallons of concentrate, which is a lot
for most people; you can divide the recipe in half or quarters, as needed.
Many plants can take, may benefit from a stronger solution, but I wouldn't
use over 3 cups concentrate per gallon of water unless you have
experimented and found it safe for your application.
I hope some will find this information useful.After the article was
published, I received several letters and phone calls from CP growers who
had "problem plants" perk up a few weeks after using this tea, most likely
due to pH improvement. Some created their own recipes and techniques. One
grower uses "blackwater" which is naturally formed tannic water found in
some wetlands. The basic technique is well-documented with successes, but
if your plants are growing fine, I wouldn't bother; don't fix what ain't
broken! Sincerely, Rob Sacilotto/Botanique.
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